


Simpleton

by BeeAnka



Series: Sing Me A Song Of Despair Side Stories: Friends [5]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Friendship, Gen, this has way less sporty stuff than I thought it would
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-04 02:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14583021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeeAnka/pseuds/BeeAnka
Summary: When Sayaka is too busy to spend Saturday with Mukuro like usually, Aoi takes it upon herself to brighten Mukuro's day.





	Simpleton

**Author's Note:**

> Mukuro's and Asahina's turn! This got a lot longer than I intended, but that's how it always is, isn't it?
> 
> I feel like I could write this friend group just spending time together forever. I hope you enjoy it as much as me!
> 
> This story takes place during 'Lament' and 'Chant'.

* * *

 

Aoi glares at Mukuro's dorm room door in irritation, thinking that maybe if she does it long enough, it'll just open by itself.

Or so she'd like to think anyway. She rings the doorbell again, a bit longer this time. She suspects Mukuro isn't in her room at this point though. Either that or she's pooping or something.

Probably not, on second thought. Aoi's texted her a minute or two ago, so it's odd that there still isn't an answer. Maybe Mukuro isn't the kinda girl who takes her phone with her when she poops? That'd be kind of weird though, wouldn't it? What kinda person doesn't take their phone with them for that? Well, Mukuro _is_ kind of a weird girl. Or maybe she's taking this long to reply because she has a hard time typing with her left hand? Or... she's in the shower and can't look at her phone? Or she's busy taking a nap and is just a _seriously_ heavy sleeper? There are so many possibilities!

It feels silly to Aoi now, being so impatient. She should wait a bit longer.

After waiting for another minute, Aoi sighs in frustration. She's sick of waiting!

She pulls out her phone. Time for drastic measures! If there's anyone who knows where Mukuro is right now, it's the Mukuro expert herself. After typing her message out and correcting the typos, Aoi sends it with a feeling of confidence. There's no way Sayaka won't know.

 **Aoi:** Sayaka-chan, help me out here! Trying to find Mukuro-chan, but she won't answer her door or text me back! Got any idea where she is?

 **Sayaka-chan:** well if she isnt showering or anything like that, shes probably in junko-chan's room. if not, she might be working out in the gym : o

 **Aoi:**  Met Junko-chan on the way here. Can't be! Gonna try the gym! Thanks!

The gym! Of course, makes sense! Sakura told her that Mukuro had continued working out after getting her hands injured during training a while back. It's only obvious she'd also do it even if one of her arms was in a cast and stuff! Aoi wants to slam her palm against her forehead -- she really should've thought of this earlier!

Aoi walks off, leaving the dorms behind and making her way to the gym.

It's pretty convenient. The gym is where Aoi's wanted to spend time with Mukuro anyway. Two birds with one stone! Wow, kind of a creepy saying, now that she thinks about it. Why would anyone wanna smash two birds with a stone? That's totally messed up!

Luckily, her grim thoughts get interrupted by her phone's buzzing.

 **Sayaka-chan:** no problem, aoi-chan!  <3 what do you want her for anyway? : o

 **Aoi:** Just felt like spending some time with Mukuro-chan! Bored! Hope you aren't jealous!

 **Sayaka-chan:** yeah you wish!!! hope mukuro-san and you have fun!  <3

 **Aoi:** Thanks!  <3

She wasn't lying to Sayaka just now, but there _is_ a bit more to it than her being bored and just feeling like spending time with Mukuro. Saying more on that would be totally embarrassing though, especially to Sayaka!

_'Well, it's the first Saturday after Mukuro-chan got her cast... and since you can't spend time with Mukuro-chan today, I'm gonna keep her company so she won't feel bored or lonely or sad!'_

Sayaka would be embarrassed to hear it, too. She'd probably laugh nervously and say just because she mentioned she'd like to do something with Mukuro every Saturday, doesn't mean it's an unspoken rule. She'd probably tell Aoi she shouldn't feel the need to bother.

Well, maybe all of that is true. But Aoi knows her better than that! Secretly, Sayaka would be delighted! It's a total certainty! Besides, Mukuro is Aoi's friend too! And she does want to spend time with her! It's not like she's just doing this to do Sayaka a favor!

Both Sayaka and Mukuro are her friends. By hanging out with Mukuro, Aoi is gonna make both of them happy at the same time! It's like... petting two sharks! With... one pool noodle! There, now that's a good saying!

When Aoi arrives at gym, having changed to her gym clothes in what she's sure was record time, she's excited to see Mukuro there just like Sayaka suggested. She's glad to see that no one's around, too. Less distractions that way! She wouldn't mind Sakura, but her friend has family stuff to take care of today.

Aoi watches Mukuro for a few seconds, marvelling at the ease and quickness she's doing her one-armed push-ups with, before making herself known. "Hey, Mukuro-chan! What's up?"

The concentration on Mukuro's face fades, replaced by her usual blank expression. Turning her face sideways, she asks: "Aoi-san?" Steadying herself on her knees first, Mukuro stands up. She wipes sweat off her forehead with her left hand, while pressing her cast-covered right hand to her chest. "Oogami-san hasn't been around today."

"I know that! I'm here 'cuz of you!" Aoi says. She walks over to the exercise mat Mukuro's standing on, unable to keep her eyes from looking the girl in front of her over. Now that Mukuro is standing up and Aoi sees she's only wearing knee-length gym shorts and a sports bra, it's obvious how muscular she really is. "Wow! You're _shredded_ , Mukuro-chan!"

"... Thank you?" Mukuro says uncertainly. "I'm the Ultimate Soldier." There's no arrogance in her tone -- not even the playful kind Sayaka shows sometimes. As far as Mukuro's concerned, she's only saying the obvious. Which, _duh_ , she totally is!

"I guess it's pretty dumb to get surprised at that." Aoi admits. She knew Mukuro was muscular from looking at her arms and legs during PE, but Mukuro had never exposed her stomach during any of that. So naturally, the six-pack kinda caught Aoi off-guard. She could totally get a six-pack herself obviously! It's just that as someone who's a swimmer before everything else, her workouts are different compared to what a soldier's training is like. She's still pretty toned, though. "It's a shame Sayaka-chan isn't here to see this!" She teases, focusing on Mukuro's face again to see a reaction.

"Why?" Mukuro asks, genuinely confused.

"Uh, no reason!" Probably better to spare Mukuro the embarrassment, on second thought. Aoi's eyes move back to her friend's stomach. "Hey, can I feel your abs?!" She asks excitedly.

"... Why?"

"'Cuz abs on a girl are awesome?!" That Mukuro even has to ask that question is ridiculous! "I'm impressed, is all! I wanna know what they feel like!"

Mukuro looks confused for a moment, but relents quickly enough. "Fine."

As soon as the word leaves Mukuro's mouth, Aoi is leaning forward to touch her stomach. The firmness of it is the first thing she notices. Her own stomach feels firm too, but there's still some softness. Mukuro's, on the other hand, has barely any softness to it. If there's any at all. "Geez," she says, kind of in awe. "You've really burned away everything that wasn't pure muscle, huh? Must've been a lot of work!"

"I suppose." Mukuro replies. She's silent for a brief moment, then continues. "Hard work was necessary. It doesn't matter how good a soldier's aim is or how sharp their instincts are, if their body isn't up to the same standards. I would have died during some battles if my body had been too weak to compliment the rest of my abilities."

"Makes sense!" Aoi leans back till she's standing upright again and removes her hands from Mukuro's abs, since it'd probably be weird if that went down for much longer. "Wait, you would've died? When?!" She winces internally as soon as the question leaves her mouth. Ugh, she's being insensitive again, isn't she?

Still, Mukuro's tone makes it obvious she doesn't really care. "Like I said, more than once." She frowns. "I don't think this is a good thing to talk about though."

"That's okay!" Aoi agrees as fast as she usually swims. "Sorry for asking about that, Mukuro-chan!" Honestly! She needs to be more considerate of people's feelings, like she's told herself! Sure, Mukuro seems unbothered, but that's no excuse!

"It's fine, Aoi-san." Mukuro dismisses. "You said you're here for me?"

"Yeah! I figured since Sayaka-chan is busy at the studio today, we could hang out instead. We haven't really spent much time together when it's just the two of us, right? The others are always around. So!" Aoi puts her hands on the hips and leans back slightly -- a gesture of confidence! "Whaddaya say?!"

"Sure." Mukuro says. Thankfully! It'd make Aoi look pretty stupid if she got a no as an answer! "Do you want to work out together? Or did you have something different in mind?"

"I wanted to play some sports to test you, but working out together sounds pretty cool!" Aoi does some arm swings with her right arm. "How 'bout we play some stuff together first though? As a warm-up, I guess!"

"That sounds fine." Mukuro glances down at her cast. "I'm not sure how many different sports I can really play like this though."

Aoi smirks proudly. She's prepared herself for this! "Don't worry, Mukuro-chan! I've thought of a lot of stuff you can play with one arm, easy peasy! Like, tennis! Or table tennis! Or badminton! Even if you're not left-handed, I think you can still do well if you work hard enough! I guess we could play something where you don't need any hands too though!"

"I've never really played any of those things, but I wouldn't mind trying. Playing with my left hand won't be a problem. I'm ambidextrous. It doesn't matter which of my hands I can use." Mukuro answers.

"Woah!" Aoi gapes at her. "You're... both-handed?! That's so cool! I'm jealous! Hey, why didn't you ever mention that before?!"

Mukuro sports a small smile, though it looks oddly awkward on her face like all of her smiles Aoi's seen so far. "It wasn't relevant before. Junko-chan is ambidextrous as well. It's useful."

"I'm sooo jealous!" Aoi complains, just stopping short of stamping her foot on the ground like a little kid. She can't help it -- it's a really frustrating thought! "Like, ugh! It's not fair! I could be even greater at sports than I am now, is what you're telling me!"

"You're already better than most people at all kinds of sports, Aoi-san." Mukuro argues. "I've never seen anyone swim as fast as you either, and I don't think being ambidextrous would help with that anyway. You don't need it."

Her friend's earnest words manage to bring a smile to Aoi's face. "Geez. Sometimes I forget you're actually nice, Mukuro-chan!" There's still some frustration, but Mukuro is making sense. Being both-handed probably wouldn't help with swimming. Or at least not enough to make a huge difference.

"I'm not being nice. I'm just pointing out the obvious." Mukuro replies, almost sounding bashful. When she speaks again though, it's gone from her voice, leading Aoi to wonder if she just imagined it. "What sport do you want to try out first?"

"Hmmm." Aoi drums her fingers against her cheek, thinking about Mukuro's question. When her eyes fall to a table nearby, she punches her palm with her fist. "Right, table tennis! If we're inside already, why not try that first?" They'd have to go outside to play most other stuff, after all.

"Sure." Mukuro says, walking next to Aoi as she's making her way to the table.

"Hey, that's cool! There's already rackets, balls, and a net here!" Aoi exclaims. "Doesn't seem like Miki-sensei to leave stuff around though."

"It was probably the Ultimate Table Tennis Player." Mukuro says, apparently thinking the same. "She might have come here for practice and didn't bother taking the equipment with her again."

"Huh? I didn't know the Ultimate Table Tennis Player goes to our school. Who is she? How do you know her?" Aoi asks. She picks up one of the rackets and makes some forehand and backhand swings, trying to get a feel for it. It's been some time since she last played table tennis.

"Nishizawa Kiriko. She's in the upper class -- 77-A. I don't know her personally, I just looked up everyone's Ultimate Talents before attending this school. She's on the Student Council." Mukuro tells her. She picks up the othe racket laying there, glancing down at it curiously while holding it in her left hand.

"Geez, I can barely remember the Ultimate Talents of my _own_ classmates!" Aoi huffs. She narrows her eyes in concentration. "I'm the Ultimate Swimmer. You're the Ultimate Soldier. Sakura-chan is the Ultimate Martial Artist. Sayaka-chan is the Ultimate Idol. Naegi is the Ultimate Lucky Student. Junko-chan is the Ultimate Fashionista. Uh..." This is where it gets harder. "Fujisaki-chan is the Ultimate Programmer. Like, computers. Right?" Mukuro nods. "Right! Always was curious about that one! Computers are seriously complicated. Anyway, Kuwata is the Ultimate Baseballer." She mostly remembers that, because he's an athlete like her. "Oowada is the Ultimate Biker." Finding motorbikes cool is probably why she knows that one.

"Ultimate Biker Gang Leader." Mukuro corrects without looking at her, trying out some forehand and backhand swings herself.

"What?" Aoi asks in confusion. "I mean, I know he's leading a gang or something, but what kinda talent is that? Isn't that, like, illegal anyway or something?"

"The Ultimate Yakuza is in the class above us. Not to mention, I'm allowed to be here as well. Maybe the state grants amnesty to these kind of students as long as they attend Hope's Peak Academy." Mukuro speculates, like she's talking about the weather or something.

"Why would they do that?"

Mukuro makes a vague gesture resembling a shrug. "For the greater good? I don't know for sure. This school is obsessed with talents."

"Geez. That sounds really unfair. People shouldn't get away with stuff, just 'cuz they have an Ultimate Talent." Aoi mutters. She glances down at her racket thoughtfully, then, realizing something, at Mukuro. "Wait, why'd you mention yourself? Being a soldier isn't illegal."

"No," Mukuro says, the small word sounding almost like she's sighing. "But being below the nation's service age is. I would have to be eighteen years old to enlist."

Aoi tilts her head in confusion. "Does that mean you joined the army, but lied about your age or something and they found out?"

"No, it wasn't like that." Mukuro mumbles quietly. "Well," she says, now talking in a normal voice. "I suppose I meant less 'illegal' and more 'immoral'."

"Immoral? Whaddaya mean by that?"

"Nevermind. Let's change the subject."

Aoi frowns. She wants a straight answer out of Mukuro, but it'd probably be tactless to continue asking about this, so she asks another question instead. "Are you gonna enlist when you're done with school or something, Mukuro-chan?"

"I don't know yet." Mukuro pauses, as if she's considering her next words carefully. "I doubt it though. I can't do that to Junko-chan."

Aoi gives her a sympathetic look. "Yeah. She'd be really worried about you, wouldn't she? All of us would be too. You're kickass though, Mukuro-chan! I'm sure you'd come back home every time!"

"I'm the Ultimate Soldier, yes, but all it takes is some bad luck to die in a war zone. Even the best soldier can't do anything against being pelted by artillery fire, getting randomly hit by shrapnel, or other things like that." Mukuro explains, though then she suddenly looks uncomfortable. "Well, anyway. We probably shouldn't be talking about this."

"Why not?" Aoi asks. "I'm getting the impression you kinda like talking about this stuff! Makes sense, since it's your talent and all."

"I can't imagine you're very interested in the military, Aoi-san."

"Why not?" Aoi almost feels offended, before she realizes Mukuro kind of has a point. "I mean, you're right. It's not like you think swimming is the greatest thing ever either though, do you? I talk about that stuff a lot, so why're you listening to me and asking questions about it and stuff?"

Mukuro frowns. "Because you're my friend, Aoi-san. I may not care about swimming that much, but you do. That's enough for me."

Aoi nods in satisfaction. "That's right! So, like, I'm doing the same as you! Get it?"

Mukuro is silent for a moment. Eventually, she mumbles: "I think so. I still don't want to talk about it though, if you don't mind."

"If you don't wanna, then 'course we don't gotta talk about it!" Yeah, on second thought there's some good reasons why Mukuro wouldn't wanna talk about the military. She's probably seen some horrible stuff. Aoi shuffles on her feet, kind of ashamed of herself. "Sorry, Mukuro-chan." She mutters.

"It's fine."

In spite of Mukuro not being upset, Aoi still feels a bit flustered at her own insensitivity. "Uh, what were we talking about again before this?" She asks, to change the subject.

"You were trying to convince me you could remember our classmates' Ultimate Talents," Mukuro answers. "You mentioned yours, mine, Oogami-san's, Sayaka-san's, Makoto-kun's, Junko-chan's, Fujisaki-san's, Kuwata-kun's, and Oowada-kun's talents."

"Right! So, I'm pretty sure Fukawa-chan is the Ultimate Writer!" Aoi punches her palm with her fist. "Oh, and how could I forget Hagakure? Ultimate Fortune Teller?! What a fraud."

"The official titles are Ultimate Writing Prodigy and Ultimate Clairvoyant." Mukuro corrects, yet again.

"Whatever! Why didn't they just call them what I said? It's easier to say!" Probably to make the titles sound smarter or something. The school just wants to show off.

"By calling Fukawa-san a prodigy, the school might want to emphasize that she's an adolescent writer. Meaning while she's talented, the school makes sure everyone knows she still could use some experience." Mukuro speculates.

"But that's true for all of us!" Aoi points out. "I'm not actually the best swimmer in the entire world, just in my age group. I'm faster than most adults, yeah... but there's still some who're faster than me."

"Well, the Steering Committee considered calling it 'Super High School Level' instead of 'Ultimate', but then thought it sounded too awkward."

"Huh. I guess it kinda does." Aoi admits. "Makes you think why they don't just, like, call me the 'Ultimate Swimming Prodigy' or something? And what about Hagakure?"

"I don't know the sense behind this school's naming process either. 'Ultimate Soldier' isn't the most fitting title I could have." Mukuro says. Aoi wonders what she means by that, but her friend quickly continues. "As for Hagakure-kun, I think the school just wanted to give him a title that doesn't make him sound like a fraud."

Aoi snorts with laughter. "Yeah, I guess 'fortune teller' sounds a lot more shady than clair- the other thing! He totally is a fraud though."

"Maybe so, but I don't think the school would have invited him without reason."

"Oh, come on!" Aoi says, giving Mukuro a dubious look. "You don't actually believe this stuff, do you?!"

"I believe Mikan-san when she says Komaeda-san is extraordinarily lucky." Mukuro replies firmly. "If a person can have so much luck, then Hagakure-kun might be able to predict the future as well."

"Tsumiki-senpai did mention that. I guess she's pretty reliable, so I gotta believe it too." Aoi concedes, wishing she didn't have to. She sighs. "So, who's left? Ishimaru! He's the Ultimate... Hall Monitor or something?"

"Ultimate Moral Compass." Mukuro corrects, for the third time.

"What does that even _mean_?" When Mukuro opens her mouth, Aoi quickly cuts her off. "Nevermind, I don't wanna know. He's annoying."

"I agree." Mukuro's tone is about as dry as Fujisaki, Celes, Fukawa, and Togami are when the PE lesson takes place in the pool.

"I guess he's just doing his job and all." Aoi says, feeling a bit bad for talking like this about the poor guy. "Like, it's his talent. Can't blame him!"

"I can. Rules shouldn't be enforced if they're bad ones. There's nothing wrong with how Junko-chan dresses, but he keeps pestering her about it." Mukuro complains, actually sounding genuinely annoyed.

"I guess you're right about that. Isn't that whole... being rebellious with your clothes thing the point of Junko-chan's talent anyway? Pretty dumb telling her not to do that." Aoi muses.

Mukuro nods with an unusual amount of eagerness, obviously happy with Aoi's words. "You're absolutely right, Aoi-san. I wish the school was as smart as you about this."

Aoi scratches the back of her head, somewhat embarrassed. "Aw, come on. I'm not smart, it's just the school being really dumb."

"Even so, that still makes you smarter than them." Mukuro insists.

"You're making fun of me!" Aoi accuses, coming close to pouting.

Mukuro looks confused. "No, I'm not. Why do you think that?"

"Well... 'cuz I'm not smart. I know I'm not." Aoi mutters. "People always say so. Celes-chan talks to me like I'm dumb. And when that jerk Togami called me a simpleton that one time, I had to look up what the stupid word meant! Just proves him right, doesn't it? It's like..." She closes her mouth abruptly. What is she doing?! She grimaces. "Nevermind. Let's go back to that other thing we were talking about."

"Aoi-san," Mukuro says, her features softening. "I really don't think you're an idiot. If Togami insults you again, tell me. I'm going to beat him up."

Aoi laughs at how blunt the words are. "Nah, Mukuro-chan. It's okay. I could beat him up myself, but he's not worth it." She grins despite herself. "Thanks, though!"

"We're friends." Mukuro says, like it explains everything. And it kinda does.

"We are!" Aoi loudly agrees. "So, speaking of Togami... crap, I don't remember his title. Ultimate Rich Prick?"

"Ultimate Affluent Progeny."

"What the heck does that mean?!" Aoi asks in disbelief. "Well, at least he has that prodigy thing in his title. It probably pisses him off. What's the other word mean though?"

"'Progeny', not 'prodigy'. It's another word for saying he's someone's descendant. 'Affluent' means he's wealthy." Mukuro explains.

"... Ultimate Rich Prick Who's Some Other Rich Prick's Kid, then." Aoi deadpans.

"It's more complicated than that, but basically yes." Aoi doesn't think she's imagining the amusement in her friend's tone. Who knew that Mukuro couldn't stand Togami either? Well, then again, who can? There's Naegi, but he doesn't count. "You're missing Kirigiri-san, Ludenberg-san, and Yamada-kun."

"Right! Celes-chan is the Ultimate Gambler!" Aoi is glad she can remember that. Considering how the fancy girl dresses, she looks more like the Ultimate Gothic Lolita or something. "Yamada is... I know it's something nerdy, but I'm not sure what it is. I know he draws a lot of stuff! Ultimate Manga Artist, maybe?"

"Something like that. He's the Ultimate Fanwork Creator. The main difference is he mostly creates fan content from already existing works rather than draw or write his own. Maybe he does that too though, I'm not sure."

Aoi sighs, defeated. Well, she thinks she remembered pretty well overall. "Geez. How do you remember all this stuff, Mukuro-chan?"

"I just have a good memory, I suppose." Mukuro doesn't even sound proud of herself!

"Show-off!" Aoi harrumphes. "Kirigiri-chan is left, right? She's... something smart. Wait, her talent's a secret, isn't it? I think I heard a rumor she's the Ultimate Cop or something!"

"Ultimate Detective." Mukuro corrects, hopefully for the last time today. "It's not really a secret. I suppose Kirigiri-san just doesn't make a habit of advertising it to the other students."

"How'd you find out then?"

"Junko-chan told me."

"How'd _she_ find out?!"

Mukuro smiles slightly. "You're going to have to ask her that yourself, Aoi-san. I don't think Junko-chan would approve if I told anyone."

"Ugh, fine!" Aoi supposes she can't blame Mukuro for that, but it sure is tempting. She hates when her curiosity isn't sated. "So, like, I got most of them right! Or at least came close to it."

"At least more than half." Mukuro assures her. "Most of them, really."

Aoi sighs in relief. Maybe she isn't completely hopeless after all. "Glad I managed to remember that much. I have problems with remembering stuff sometimes. _You_ sure don't!"

"My memory is decent, I suppose." Mukuro agrees. Or supposes, apparently. And just before, she was calling it 'good' too!

"Kind of an understatement! Wait, what were we gonna do before this again?" Aoi wonders, lightly hitting the racket in her hand against her cheek while searching her memory. She blinks, and looks down at the racket in her hand. "Oh, right! Table tennis! I totally forgot! Do you know how to play, Mukuro-chan?" The girl in question nods. "But you've never played before either?" Another nod. "Okay! Then, let's not waste any more time! I'm gonna serve!"

Aoi waits until Mukuro is ready, then gently hits the small white ball with her racket -- or at least gently for her standards. It's a bad idea to play against a beginner with all of her skill, since it might be discouraging, but that doesn't mean she has to coddle the other person either!

Mukuro, with an extremely intense look on her face, draws her own racket back and slams it against the ball.

Aoi lets out an undignified squeak and ducks, the ball narrowly missing her face. She stands up straight again. "Mukuro-chan, what was that?!"

"... I suppose I may have hit the ball too hard." Mukuro suggests.

"The problem is the ball didn't touch the table, not that you hit it too hard!" Aoi points out. "Geez, it's like you were trying to kill me or something." She squints at her friend. Maybe Mukuro's jealous of her and Sayaka! "You weren't, right?!"

"I was not." Mukuro denies, although she doesn't sound very offended at the accusation either. "You have good reflexes, Aoi-san."

"Geez, thanks!" Aoi would feel more flattered if she didn't just narrowly escape death. "Okay, let's try this again! I'll serve! Hopefully, you won't mess up again!"

Mukuro does, in fact, mess up again.

The first time, excluding the actual first time, Mukuro's ball does touch the table, but unfortunately for her it's only her own side. After which it nearly takes out Aoi's left eye.

The next ball hits the net. Aoi is relieved she didn't have to dodge again. Progress, at least!

The one after that causes Aoi to jump to the side. She scowls. Didn't even touch the table. There was supposed to be progress! Good thing there's so many balls laying around at least, though. Who knows where the ones Mukuro hits land.

"Why don't you try hitting the ball a bit less hard?" Aoi suggests after yet another ball flew into nowhere land.

"Or maybe I could try serving." If Aoi didn't know any better, she'd say Mukuro's close to sounding petulant. Well, makes sense. She'd be frustrated too if she was that bad at something.

Aoi relents. "Okay! You serve, Mukuro-chan."

"Thank you, Aoi-san."

Seeing as she can't use her right hand to ready the ball for herself, Mukuro balances it on her racket instead. She looks down at the table, probably trying to measure some stuff. Eventually, she sends the ball flying into the air with a flick of her wrist, followed by the racket hitting it with a dull sound.

The ball smashes against Mukuro's side of the table, then whirls past Aoi's right ear without touching her side.

Mukuro sighs. "Maybe I should try hitting it less hard."

"Admitting it is the first step!" Aoi says, grinning. It probably looks like a grimace, since she just was this close to death again. "How 'bout you try holding it differently? You're holding that racket like you're gonna club someone to death with it!" Mukuro gives her a curious glance, so she elaborates. "Put your index finger on the back side, and put your thumb on the front side. Keep your other fingers around the handle. Geez, don't grip it that tightly! Relax your wrist! Put the thumb a little lower. Yeah, that works! Now, serve again. But," she says sharply. "This time, hit it less hard. And aim lower!"

Nodding, Mukuro starts balancing another ball on her racket. When she hits it this time, much gentler, the ball actually doesn't come close to killing anyone! Still doesn't manage to touch Aoi's side of the table though -- the ball narrowly misses the edge.

"Try again, you almost got it!" Aoi encourages a gloomy looking Mukuro, shooting her a thumbs-up for good measure. She gets another determined nod.

For the first time today, Mukuro serves a ball that Aoi can't ignore. Aoi hits the surprisingly sneaky ball with her backhand, causing Mukuro to return it with her forehand.

Unfortunately, the whole thing went too quickly for Mukuro, who seemingly can't control her strength, and the ball flies over Aoi's head in what's probably a new height record.

Despite that, Aoi's proud of her friend. "Nice job, Mukuro-chan! That was a pretty good serve!"

"You still returned the ball though. I didn't manage the same." Mukuro says, frowning.

"Well, I'm pretty experienced. I used to play table tennis with my mom all the time when I was little. Guess I'm not as rusty as I thought!" Aoi tells her sheepishly. She clears her throat. "So, here's what I think! You can hit the ball really strongly and your technique isn't half bad. You have the potential to be great at this! You just need some practice, Mukuro-chan! I didn't start out being as good as I'm now either."

"Are you good at a lot of sports, Aoi-san?" Mukuro asks. "You mentioned normal tennis and badminton earlier. You were in a lot of sports clubs in high school as well, weren't you?"

"Yep, I was! I think I'm pretty good at most sports." Aoi boasts. Though, then again, she doesn't think it's boastful to bluntly state the truth. "Swimming is my biggest passion, but I love all kinds of different sports too. I love winning! It's, like, the adrenaline you get from working hard, doing your best, and then winning... there's no better feeling in the world!"

"Proving how skilled you are to yourself." Mukuro adds, a thoughtful look on her face. "Surpassing your own limitations and knowing how far above you are compared to everyone else, at least when it comes to this one thing. That you could beat them all easily without even trying."

"... Yeah." Aoi admits. "Geez, that kinda makes me sound like an arrogant jerk."

"I don't think it does." Mukuro protests. "You should be proud of your accomplishments, Aoi-san. Why pretend to be humble when it's obvious that you're one of the best? It's a simple fact. As long as you don't rub it into people's faces too much, it shouldn't be a problem."

"I guess you're not wrong, Mukuro-chan." Aoi reluctantly agrees. "Sounds like you're talking from experience!"

"I am." Mukuro says. "Some of the other soldiers didn't think a young girl had what it took, but I proved them wrong."

Aoi smiles slyly. "I bet that must've felt pretty satisfying, huh?"

"A little, yes. Especially proving the sexists wrong." Mukuro snorts softly, visibly annoyed. "Instead of criticizing how young I was, which would have been reasonable, those men doubted me because of my gender. Stupid."

"Ugh!" Aoi rolls her eyes, swept up in her friend's irritation. "I feel that! I hate how guys act when I compete against them. First they act like jerks, 'cuz they think I can't beat 'em! Then they act like jerks, 'cuz I do beat 'em! It's so annoying! Like, make up your mind!"

"You've probably bruised a lot of egos." Mukuro suspects, kinda sounding like she finds that both cool and hilarious. Well, not _really_. More, like, in her own Mukuro way. Or at least Aoi gets the impression she does!

"So have you, I bet! Oh, did you beat any of 'em up?" Aoi asks eagerly. Mukuro nods. "Way to go!" She cheers. "Y'know, at least Togami is the same jerk to everyone. I feel if he was sexist too, I would've put him in the hospital by now!"

Mukuro laughs -- actually _laughs_ \-- at that, though admittedly it only lasts for a second. "I can still do that, if you want me to."

Now it's Aoi's turn to laugh. "Tempting, isn't it?! But nah, Sayaka-chan is never gonna let us hear the end of it. And Naegi is gonna be sad you ruined his boyfriend's face or something."

"Boyfriend?" Mukuro asks, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? Makoto-kun isn't dating Togami-kun, is he?"

"Geez, it's a joke! They aren't dating, least not as far as I know!" Aoi assures her. If she didn't know Mukuro had a gigantic crush on Sayaka, she'd assume there was some jealousy just now. Aoi almost wants to laugh again. Mukuro? Being into _Naegi_? That's the most ridiculous idea she's ever had. "Would it be a big deal or anything? Maybe Naegi just wants to be rich."

"Makoto-kun can date whoever he wants," Mukuro says, somewhat mollified. "It's just that I think he should date someone nice. I don't think Togami-kun would be good enough for him."

"Aww, so you're just fussing over him like a mother hen or something!" Aoi exclaims. "You're actually a huge softy, Mukuro-chan! I dunno how I keep forgetting that!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Mukuro mumbles, averting her eyes in embarrassment.

"What about Tsumiki-senpai?" Aoi teases with a big grin. "Sayaka-chan told me the other day you and her went for some cake, and then you nearly beat some girl up, 'cuz she ran into Tsumiki-senpai and you thought it was on purpose!"

"It _was_ on purpose." Mukuro insists. "If Mikan-san hadn't asked me to let it go, I would have gotten that girl to admit it too."

"Soooofty~!" Aoi sing-songs.

"I'm not."

"You totally are! Sayaka-chan says you're a huge sweetheart on the inside! Are you saying she's lying?"

"No. I respect Sayaka-san's opinion, but I still disagree."

"Sure, Mukuro-chan! Whatever you say." Aoi snickers at the annoyed glare she's getting in response. "Hey, we keep getting distracted! Let's play some more table tennis!"

Scrunching up her nose, Mukuro says: "Fine by me."

"Aw!" Aoi coos. "You're pouting!"

"I'm not."

"You aaaaaare!"

"Can we just play the game?" Mukuro asks, somewhere between desperation and exasperation.

Suppressing yet another laugh, Aoi takes pity on her.

The first thing she notices while they continue playing is that Mukuro is a pretty fast learner. She improves quickly enough in a short time that they even manage to play some actual matches that aren't totally one-sided against each other. Aoi still wins every time, but she's impressed by her friend's progress.

Another thing she notices is that while Mukuro sends the ball flying into the net or past the table a lot, she never once _doesn't_ hit it. Her reflexes and reaction time are both incredible, it's just that the game moves too quickly for her to control it properly. Heck! She'd probably surpass Aoi without much difficulty if she just practiced enough!

Aoi says that much to her once she thinks they've played long enough to judge that, but Mukuro claims that's an exaggeration and is weirdly reserved when Aoi tries to argue otherwise.

All in all, it's a lot of fun. The only bad part about playing is her breasts kinda getting into the way, like they tend to do when she plays sports.

"I wish they'd just stay still and not get in the way all the time!" Aoi complains. She glares down at her breasts, wishing the size would decrease from that alone. "Just, like, _look_ at them!"

"Maybe you should get a better sports bra." Mukuro suggests, adamantly not looking at them.

"I guess I could try surfing the net for that." Aoi eyes Mukuro's chest bitterly. "Ugh, but still! Why can't I be a flat chick like you?!"

Mukuro doesn't lose her blank expression even at that. Dryly, she says: "You could get a breast reduction." 

"A _what_?!"

When Mukuro's done with a short, awkward explanation, Aoi decides to look into that! Sounds like a dream come true, really!

They continue playing table tennis for a while, but soon decide to call it quits and move on.

Aoi takes the table tennis equipment with her to put it back where it belongs, since she's sure Miki would appreciate it, and they make their way outside. It's a little too windy, but otherwise the day is perfect for outdoor sports!

Tennis and badminton are similiar to table tennis when it comes to Mukuro. She hits every ball, but more often than not makes it fly either too far or makes it crash into the net. She has an advantage there that she didn't have with table tennis though, seeing as both sports need you to move around a lot and Mukuro is both amazingly fast and amazingly agile.

"Geez." Aoi says, catching her breath after another taxing match of badminton. Mukuro hasn't come close to winning once, but she's a lot better at badminton than at tennis and sure made Aoi work hard for her victory anyway. She wipes some sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "We've played for, like, two hours now and you don't even seem that exhausted, Mukuro-chan!"

"You don't seem that exhausted either, Aoi-san. You have a lot of energy." Mukuro replies, taking a generous swig of her water bottle.

"'Course I do! That's why I eat so much, ya know? It, like, turns into energy when you digest it or something!" Aoi says wisely, and drinks from her own water bottle.

"You do eat a lot."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Aoi asks defensively. "I'm an athlete! I gotta eat a lot!"

"I know," Mukuro says, looking confused by Aoi's outburst. "I eat a lot too, I suppose. I didn't mean anything by it, Aoi-san. I'm sorry."

The apology comes out in a quiet mumble, making Aoi feel kinda ashamed of herself. "It's okay, Mukuro-chan. Sorry for yelling." She sighs, leaning on her racket slightly. "It's just some people give me weird looks when they see how much I eat and sometimes even say that to me. And then I get super defensive and eat less for a week, but that just pisses me off and frustrates me and then I start binge eating! It sucks!"

"I suppose Sayaka-san does make fun of how much you eat sometimes." A frown slowly makes its way on Mukuro's face face. "I'm going to talk to her about it, alright?"

"Nah, Mukuro-chan. That's okay! I know Sayaka-chan doesn't mean it. Like, how could I think she means it when whenever she eats anything more than a salad, her stupid manager whines about it? It doesn't bother me coming from her!" Aoi explains. Then, she smiles brightly. "Thanks, though! You're being, like, really considerate and stuff!"

"We're friends." Mukuro simply says.

"We are! Whoa, I feel we had this moment before! I'm having a total... ya know! That French memory thing!"

"Déjà vu?"

"Yeah, that's it!" Aoi laughs. "So, do you wanna play another match?" Mukuro nods. "Awesome! I'm serving!"

They play at least for another hour -- Mukuro putting up a good fight, but still never managing to win -- after which Mukuro tells her she has to go do her homework. Aoi bites her tongue to keep herself from complaining, since she's trying to be more considerate of other people. It helps that her friend seems reluctant to leave as well.

After putting the equipment they've brought away, they make their way to the dorms. Aoi can't wait to get a hot shower, but still needs to ask the most important question before parting ways.

"Today's been a lot of fun! Right, Mukuro-chan?" She asks when they arrive in front her dorm room.

"Yes," Mukuro answers. Aoi is pretty good at reading Mukuro at this point, or so she thinks, and is glad to see she can't see a lie on her friend's face. "We didn't even get to work out properly, but I don't mind. It was a lot of fun, Aoi-san."

Aoi beams. "Great! Sorry for butting in on your workout like that, though."

"It's fine." Mukuro assures her. Then, almost shyly, she adds: "Feel free to do it again."

The smile on Aoi's face widens. "You betcha! Next time we're gonna work out for real though!"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too! Now if you'll excuse me, there's a shower head with my name on!" Aoi notices too late how that sounds. A blush creeps up her cheeks. That was almost a Sayaka-like joke, but totally not on purpose! "Wait, that came out wrong!"

"Before you leave, Aoi-san," Mukuro says, thankfully ignoring the comment. "I've been thinking about before and I apologize. I don't think I was doing a well enough job in convincing you that you aren't stupid."

"Huh? Why're you bringing that up all of a sudden?" Aoi asks, more than a little embarrassed of her earlier whining. It's unlike her to just tell her insecurities to other people, even if they're her friends.

"Because I had to think of a good thing to say." Mukuro answers. She suddenly looks unsure of herself. "I'm sorry, am I being awkward? I shouldn't have brought it up again, right?"

"No, it's okay!" Aoi tries her best to sound reassuring in spite of her shame. She can't help but feel curious too, though. "So, uh, let's hear it!"

"Alright. Well." Mukuro's face turns thoughtful. "It's true that you're a slow thinker and don't understand things sometimes, but I don't think that makes you stupid. It's not that you can't think things through, you're just too impatient. Most of the time when someone explains things to you again more slowly and you bother thinking about them for more than a second, you understand."

"... I guess I'm a bit impatient." Aoi admits. "I just don't like when things are slow. It's like I'm wasting time." She sighs, still not convinced by Mukuro's well-meaning words. "I still feel like I'm dumb though. Like, for example? Togami knows so much about money and stuff. That means he's smarter than me, isn't he?"

Mukuro seems to consider her reply for a moment. "You know a lot about sports and fitness," she says eventually. "While we played against each other before, you were talking a lot about different play styles and techniques. You explained all of that very well. Not to mention, all of those things you know about water. You've been watching a lot of documentaries about the sea, sharks, and things like that, haven't you? There's no way Togami-kun knows as much about any of these things as you do."

"But the stuff he knows is way more important and, like, smarter!" Aoi argues. She appreciates what Mukuro's trying to do, but she'd rather live in the harsh reality than in a cozy fantasy world.

Mukuro disagrees with her, however. "I don't think that's true. Imagine, for example, his private jet having a defect and forcing him to land in the middle of the ocean. Do you think Togami-kun would know what to do? In his place, you would have a much better chance of survival considering your knowledge of the sea and the creatures that live in it."

"I guess..." Aoi mumbles, more unsure than before. "But that's pretty unlikely, isn't it?"

"It's just an example. And it's true there is some knowledge that's obviously worth more than other, but that doesn't apply here. Togami-kun's knowledge will help him get rich and successful, but yours will too. Professional athletes make a lot of money. You're also much more healthy than him, meaning you have a better chance of living longer." Aoi considers the words. They do make some kind of sense, don't they? "Not to mention," Mukuro continues, grabbing her attention again. "You're also more friendly than him. You're not doing that to get an advantage, but it's smarter to be liked than to be disliked. He treats other people like garbage, which has a good chance of backfiring eventually, so he clearly isn't as smart as he likes to think."

"Geez." Aoi scratches the back of her head, blushing. "That's more than I've ever heard you say, Mukuro-chan! You sure thought this through..."

"Friends are here for each other." The words almost sound like Mukuro's reciting them.

"... You really believe I'm not dumber than Togami, huh?" Aoi asks.

"You're not." Mukuro says firmy. "You just think differently, and know different things."

"Ya know, you're really smart too, Mukuro-chan! That totally made sense to me!" Aoi cheers, punching her palm with her fist. "That's right, I'm not dumb! Right?!" Her friend nods, smiling. "Right!" She grins widely, about to move in for a hug before remembering something Sayaka told her. "Hey, Mukuro-chan? Would you mind a hug? I promise I'm not gonna touch the cast."

"I don't mind," Mukuro answers, the smile still on her face. "And it's a splint."

"Right! I gotta remember that!" Aoi gives Mukuro's left side of the body a hug, careful not to touch the splint thing. When she pulls back, she smiles softly at her. "Thanks, Mukuro-chan," she murmurs, trying to make her voice sound more serious. "You made me feel a lot better about this stuff, ya know? If you ever wanna vent or something, hit me up too. You're an awesome friend."

"You're welcome, Aoi-san. You're a great friend as well. I had a lot of fun today." Mukuro replies, in a somewhat stilted and awkward way, but it doesn't diminish her sincerity.

Aoi gives her a thumbs-up. "See ya on Monday, then! Bye bye!"

"Goodbye."

Aoi skips off to her room.

Not only was the whole making Mukuro feel happy instead of sad or lonely mission a success, Aoi's also gotten a pretty amazing pep talk herself! It obviously took a lot of effort for Mukuto to express herself like this... geez, she's a pretty amazing friend!

While showering, an idea forms in Aoi's head.

She can't wait for Monday!

 

-

 

First thing Monday morning, Aoi walks up to Togami's seat, giving Mukuro a sly wink as she's walking past her.

"Togami!" She announces herself in a sharp voice, putting her hands on her hips. "If you were stranded in the middle of the ocean, how would you survive?"

"What's this nonsense?" Togami asks, furrowing his brows, looking at her like she's some annoyance. In other words, the same way he's looking at everyone always. "Don't you have other people to bother, Asahina?"

"If you got a cramp in your leg while swimming, how would you deal with it?!" Aoi asks.

Togami sighs. "I don't know what-"

"That's right, you don't know! The planet is mostly water, ya know? What if you fall into some?! Have fun drowning!" Aoi tells him, satisfied. "So you're admitting defeat, then?!"

"What are you talking about? I assure you, I-"

"Guess you're a _simpleton_ when it comes to that kinda thing!" Aoi smugly concludes, and walks away.

As she's walking by Mukuro's seat, she holds up her hand to give her friend a high-five. Amazingly enough, Mukuro actually picks up on it and holds up her own hand.

They high-five. It's awesome. Naegi's confused expression just adds to it, really.

In high spirits, Aoi sits down on her seat next to Sayaka, who's questioningly raising her eyebrows. "What was that about?" She asks.

"Just letting Togami know I won't let him call me dumb anymore." Aoi answers.

Sayaka turns her head to the side, then looks back at her with a smirk. "Well, he's looking pretty rattled. Maybe he's just too dumb to get it."

"He probably is! What a simpleton!" Aoi exclaims, causing them both to giggle.

She's in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Even Sakura chuckles when Aoi tells her about everything later. She also praises Mukuro's advice and calls her smart, which Aoi enthusiastically agrees with. Come to think of it, all that stuff really sounded like something Sakura might have said too! Geez, she has so many smart friends.

Then again, she's smart too now, isn't she? In a way! She can't forget about that!

But! The most important part!

Togami Byakuya: 0

Asahina Aoi and Ikusaba Mukuro: 1

* * *

 


End file.
